Almond

Almond is well-known for its ability to nourish the skin. L'OCCITANE has harnessed the exceptional beautifying power of almond from the south of France and integrated it in body care and toiletries that are both deliciously tempting and wonderfully effective. Made with Almonds sourced from Haute Provence, the Almond range, including our delicious shower oil and mouth-watering body cream, supports the sustainability of almond trees in the region, as these trees are a staple to the beauty of the Provencal landscape.

The Source of Our Almond Range

Until the beginning of the last century, the almond was a strong symbol of the Provençal landscape. Naturally nourishing qualities of Almond extract found in our body care products help achieve the appearance of smoother skin.

Threatened by new, more profitable crops and the mechanisation of agriculture, the almond tree became rare in the region after the 1930's. To help almond farmers, and to make the long-forgotten almond tree once again a familiar feature of the Provençal landscape, L’OCCITANE is committed to sourcing its almonds used in L'OCCITANE body care products from producers in the south of France.

For one such almond producer, Jean-Pierre and Pauline Jaubert, the passion for almonds is handed down from father to daughter. For several years, Jean-Pierre Jaubert has cultivated 10,000 almond trees on the Valensole plateau in Haute-Provence. «When you watch the bees as they come and gather pollen from the almond blossoms, then when you see that the flowers have become fruits, you tell yourself that you did the right thing by launching into this adventure.»

The chef of the La Chassagnette restaurant in Arles revisits for L’Occitane the Thirteen Desserts of Provence with an original iced nougat recipe accompanied by a brioche bun, and served with seasonal fruit. A recipe to test for the holiday season!

Although almond trees have always grown in Provence, since the 1930s their cultivation has been decreasing, to the point of disappearing, in favor of wheat and lavender. But since 2002, thanks to a project led by the Jaubert brothers on the Valensole Plateau and with support from L'Occitane, the fruit tree can begin to hope for a brighter future.